carne molida
/ˌkaɾne moˈlida/feminine
In Spanish, ground beef is carne molida.
The term refers to finely chopped beef, similar to the English word mince.
Meaning: finely chopped beef (noun)
Which one should you use?
While carne molida is the default, you may encounter carne molida de res in many Latin American countries. For a more specific description of the animal, you might see carne de res molida or carne de vacuno molida.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain and parts of South America, carne picada is often used instead of carne molida.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun carne is feminine, so the adjective molida must also be in its feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌkaɾne moˈlida/
Did you know?
- The word carne shares a common ancestor with the English word 'chair'. This is because both words can trace back to ancient roots involving the idea of 'flesh' or 'body', which originally referred to the material used for seats.
- In some Latin American butcher shops, you can ask for the meat to be molida on the spot, as it is common to see the butcher grind a specific cut of steak fresh for the customer.
- While carne usually means 'meat' in a culinary sense, it is also the general word for 'flesh' or 'skin' when referring to the human body.
Examples in context
- Me gustan mucho las empanadas de carne molida.I love ground beef empanadas.This sentence shows how to use carne molida when talking about food preferences.Tatoeba #3480099 by cueyayotl, translation #10112142 by shekitten
- Necesito comprar carne molida para la cena.I need to buy ground beef for dinner.
- La carne molida es muy económica.Ground beef is very inexpensive.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are deciding what to cook for lunch.
- Mateo¿Quieres que prepare tacos de carne molida?Do you want me to make ground beef tacos?
- ElenaSí, suena muy bien, Mateo.Yes, that sounds great, Mateo.
- MateoVoy al supermercado a buscar la carne molida.I am going to the supermarket to look for the ground beef.
- ElenaGracias, yo prepararé las salsas.Thanks, I will prepare the sauces.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ground beef” translations and entries carne molida, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries carne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
